Another Look at Hillary

We read with interest Kathleen Parker’s column on Hillary Clinton. It’s on this page and it’s interesting because it’s a woman’s take on a woman. Women know women better than men, who are still trying to figure them out, ever since Eve was with Adam in that garden.

Of course, what makes Hillary so interesting is the fact that she is in politics, is a former first lady, secretary of state and U.S. senator, is a survivor of a number of incidents that raised questions still not fully answered, and is going to run for president on the Democratic ticket. Parker’s take on Hillary is more about women in general in high positions than totally on the former first lady. Parker wrote that if women became completely equal to men there would be peace on the planet. Countries where women are the most oppressed are the least stable, and where women have been empowered, especially financially, countries become more stable.

America some day will have a woman president. It may well be Hillary. There is no other Democrat at this point with the standing in the party that she has. When it comes to experience in government, she ranks No. 1 among the party faithful. Also, at this point, there isn’t a Republican who is a leading candidate or who stands out among those who are interested in the nomination.

Because husband Bill’s personal conduct was so embarrassing, and the fact that Hillary stood by him, is proof enough that she endured all of that because she needed the first lady stature to remain in the spotlight, and to fortify her ambition to be the first woman president. Her record as secretary of state was average at best, but she did gain valuable experience. She also was under a president who still is an amateur when it comes to dealing with other nations. Hillary knows the world and its leaders, certainly better than anyone else in the Obama administration, or the present secretary of state.

It’s interesting to note that many women do not like Hillary. Others do. Perhaps that’s always the way with women. Women may not always be correct, but they have a way of sizing up another woman. Maybe it’s the flaming ambition that Hillary has that turns off some other women. Maybe it’s Hillary’s toughness, and “get out of my way” attitude that makes other women uncomfortable with her. Perhaps it’s her aggressiveness and tendency to dodge blame for missteps, even scandals, that causes uneasiness among other women. Probably some women are jealous of her. Men also may have similar feelings about Hillary.

We have heard Democrats and Republicans say Hillary would have made a better president than Barack Obama.

Parker wrote that many people “shudder at the prospect of Hillary Clinton as the most powerful person in the world, but we’ve done worse.” She added that women in the world are watching closely the Hillary run for president.